Be Careful What You Wish For
by Darkglare
Summary: Oh, Harry! Why didn't you let Hermione help you make a wish, rather doing it your yourself? Obviously, Harry's wish does not go exactly as he thought. He finds that his parents may have been happier not married to each other. Snape/Lily
1. Chapter 1

What's This? I got into two separate private messaging conversations on FF about either happily married LE/SS or a continuation of Worst Memory. I had part of this written on my hard drive, so I figured rather than teasing it, I'd just go ahead and publish what I had, then slowly continue it … though I have too many stories in progress so we'll see how fast that goes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

AU LE/SS

**Be Careful What You Wish For**

**Prologue: Harry's Centennial**

July 31, 2080. One of the last people who expected to live to see this day was Harry Potter. Well, not lately, or even in the past couple of decades, but it was pretty hairy in the beginning. Even Harry's biggest fans had to admit that. Not that he encouraged his fans because the last time he did something really spectacular, outside of a quidditch pitch for charity, was over eighty years ago. The reforming the Ministry thing was more Hermione, Harry felt he was more of a pretty face. At least that's what Ginny said.

So a party. A big party. It was unavoidable. Kind of embarrassing really to admit he was one hundred. Harry did not feel one hundred. One would think the guest of honor could wear what he wanted, rather than having to put on dress robes, but Ginny insisted. It wasn't so bad because Ginny had the most beautiful set of robes for the event, and he'd look like a tramp next to her unless he made an attempt to look respectable too. Even if his hair had a totally different idea.

Harry winced at the presents. All the presents. It may sound humble, a bit trite, but why wouldn't anyone believe him when he said he was happy to be here with everyone and that was present enough? There was also really special presents because a whole bunch of 'important' people insisted on attending. What made it worse was each one of these people wanted to outdo each other on describing why their present was best.

Now Harry wasn't entirely sure how Draco Malfoy got invited to this event, since both of them would readily admit they were not friends. Ever. However, Draco's sneer had not changed one bit, and he positioned himself perfectly so Harry could see the disdain at what was rapidly degenerating into one heck of a spectacle.

Hermione was being a pal, and sitting next to him taking notes. His hand was going to fall off from writing all the thank yous. Maybe he could hire someone. A bit impersonal, but if he was one hundred, he might as well use it to his advantage to skive off having to do everything personally.

What he could really use was sort of like a program of who this long line of people were. He'd like to know what they were going to give to, but that might be considered rude. At least Hermione was quick to whisper why some of these things were desirable. Harry had never heard of some of these … uh, very fine gifts.

He was relieved to see the end of the line finally. The last one … oh jeez, if Albus Dumbledore decided to become an American, this is what he would wear. It was red. It was white. It was blue. It had stars. It had stripes. It sparkled, and there might even be a rocket's red glare in all that somewhere. Holy smoke, where was that smoke coming from in the back? Harry prayed to whatever would listen that this fellow did not gift him with any clothes. He already had to suffer through trying on many gifts for photographs, including hats that had Draco hooting in laughter. Yet not a single hat topped with a vulture. Pity. Pity? Oh no, was mental disability setting in?

"At last we reach the finale, eh, Mr. Potter?" the elderly, bearded man with a mega-wattage smile inquired.

Harry knew those teeth, and that cheeky, disarming smile. He leaned forward, studied the man, and asked, "Prof. Lockhart?"

"Ha ha. Gilderoy Lockhart? I wish I was as handsome as that devilish rogue. No, I'm Mike Mageical from the American Department of Magic. That's the United States, in case you didn't know."

No one here was afflicted with blindness so they were well aware where Mike Mageical came from. And it was not because they noticed his high-top trainers were decorated with the design of an American flag.

If this guy did not hurry, Harry was considering removing his thick eyeglasses to spare his peepers the agony they were suffering. His eyes were out of practice due to all the time he spent at the Ministry. The golden trio were unable to put a dent into the dress code in all their time there.

"Please continue," Harry urged, without trying to sound desperate.

"Now that you've reached this advanced age and gained the matching maturity that goes along with it, Mr. Potter, we've had a little something sitting around that might fit perfectly in the hands of the Savior of the Wizarding World. Right, Mr. Chosen One?"

Harry looked at this barmy fellow more closely. He had two ears, but one could be fake. "I don't use those titles for myself," Harry replied with a shrug.

"But even you have wondered What if?" Mike prompted, opening the box he was holding as he asked the question.

"What if?" Harry repeated, looking at the cue ball sized orb in the box. It was swirling with mist, but Harry had seen crystal balls do that.

"Look closer, but don't touch it yet. That is, until you are ready."

Harry heard Hermione's little squeak next to him. To her, this was something.

The mist was swirling around, but Harry could see things. A dementor, Sirius, Voldemort, Dudley, a snitch, his mother's face as he saw it in the Mirror of Erised, Voldemort, Molly Weasley, Hermione's long greyed brown bushy hair as her head got in the way …

The squeal in her voice was reminiscent of her at Hogwarts. "Harry! I think you should write it down. You are only going to get one chance." She was shoving her pad of paper and muggle pen at him.

"Write what down?"

"What you wish."

"Huh?"

"You make a wish to change something then touch it."

"Then what?"

"You'll live it."

"Live it?"

"Well, in your head. If you wish there was a giant banana split instead of cake for your birthday, we'd all still have cake."

Harry made a face at her. After seeing who he saw, food was not what he'd wish for. Ron would wish for food. Not him.

Obviously Harry had Ron all wrong, because he suggested, "Harry, you could use it to see how things would be if you were seeker for the Chudley Cannons, rather than being an auror."

"I'm going to need time to think about it, and word it correctly, as Hermione suggested. Food, Chudley Cannons and maybe something that makes a difference. But if I hose it up, it's only in my head right?"

"That could still be dangerous, Harry," Hermione warned.

"What if it's something long, like Ron's quidditch career? Will I be in a coma that whole time?"

"No, it goes rather quick here," Mike said. "But quidditch? Is that what you'd use it for?"

"I don't think so, unless I wrote out a whole thing and then added 'by the way, I won the World Cup for England too'."

"That's silly, I would think it would be the two of us," Ginny commented, looking over Harry's shoulder.

Harry's lip quirked as he thought of his ideal quidditch team. Ron as keeper, him as Seeker, Fred and George as Beaters, Angelina, Ginny and oh darn, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet or Dean Thomas as the third chaser? If there were substitutions allowed, wait it was his wish, he could substitute whoever he wished, and Oliver Wood could cover the goals while Ron was off after a spectacular save to a rousing rendition of 'Weasley is our King'. Although many would find it sacrilege for Harry to say 'it's only quidditch', he was definitely going to use this for something more substantial.

The item itself was giving him clues by showing him his parents, Sirius and Remus. Beating Draco in a quidditch grudge match couldn't compare to that.

**Chapter One: Harry Makes a Wish**

Harry purposely put the damned thing away. Everyone had an idea what he should use it for. It didn't matter because it was his, and would not make a difference to their lives. He was intrigued by it, and Hermione was full of information about how rare and how dangerous it could be, but she was obviously envious too. Hey, he didn't ask for it. Harry didn't even know such a thing existed. However, Harry remembered that items such as the Mirror of Erised and the Resurrection Stone could lead the user to either waste away or kill themselves.

He merely had to be smart about it. Harry could ask Hermione for help, but even after years with Ron, she still judged many of Ron and Harry's ideas as immature and poorly thought through. Hey, Harry got to one hundred and he sometimes still thought for himself. He even dressed himself in the morning and tied his own shoes without Hermione or Ginny.

Writing a list. Ha, in your face, Hermione. He'd write a list of what he'd like and then he'd be ready to get a written wish of what he'd like to experience.

1. He did not want to be one hundred years old.

2. Considering all the people that could be in it, Harry wanted both his parents. He did not get a chance to know them in life.

His parents. At this mature stage in his life, Harry did not think he could relate to students, and after recalling Snape's memory of how his mum did not like his dad, maybe once they were graduated, married and happy with each other. Harry could help them somehow. Against Voldemort obviously, but not be the savior. He had enough of that in real life. Helping others as part of a team was more like it.

Harry crossed out 1 and 2 on his list after he summed it up – Help his happy parents defeat Voldemort, and be the same age as them.

Quidditch? Hm, maybe he could play a little one on one with his dad, when they had a spare moment. Harry didn't want to overcomplicate this. Sirius, Remus and Dumbledore should be around, and Pettigrew too. Did Peter join shortly before his betrayal or earlier? Harry would have to improvise on what to do about Pettigrew.

Was this too simple? By wishing to help them, they'd have to at least talk to him. Somehow befriend them? Should they know who he was?

After many scribbles and crossed out ideas, Harry looked at 'Befriend and aid his happy parents defeat Voldemort, after they discover Harry is their son who is mysteriously the same age as them.' He was really proud of the 'mysteriously'.

According to Hermione, all he had to was touch the thing and read his carefully worded sentence.


	2. Chapter 2 Godric's Hollow

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

AU LE/SS

**Be Careful What You Wish For**

**Chapter Two: Godric's Hollow**

After feeling like he was spun about like a top. A magical, nonstop top, if he had to guess, Harry landed hard on his arse. If he were still a hundred years old, that would have hurt more. Right?

He blinked owlishly trying to get his bearings. This place was darned familiar. Ah, Godric's Hollow, minus the statue in the center, of course. This was pretty convenient to end up here, but with wishes, convenience for the wisher should be pretty important … so, uh, the house was this way.

It was all put together. Looking nice and cozy, a little two-story structure with a white picket fence, flowers out front and in the window boxes. Excellent. No _fidelis_ charm yet. His parents may have been happy with each other and him as little Harry, but cut off from the world and then having big Harry show up on their doorstep would probably make this seem awfully ridiculous.

Oh, poo. The sign said 'MacMillan'. This was the house. Harry was sure of it. Maybe this was before his parents moved here? Should he knock on the door and ask directions? If this was at the height of Voldemort's first time terrorizing people, maybe not.

Harry was looking at the house in indecision when there was a loud roaring noise. He looked around as it got closer, then looked up. A flying motorcycle passed overhead, and an old lady across the street leaned out her window, shaking her fist and yelling, "Sirius Black."

Sirius. Was Harry ready to see Sirius, alive again? Well, wherever Sirius was, James was sure to turn up so Harry headed after the noise, even after the motorcycle could no longer be seen.

The noise stopped, but Godric's Hollow was not so big. Harry found the motorcycle parked outside a different house. A bigger house, further away from its neighbors than others, that had windows open and music blaring.

"_I can't get no, no, no, no, hey, hey, hey, that's what I say … I can't get no satisfaction."_

Harry knocked on the door. Then again more loudly as he saw a silhouette doing a Mick Jagger rooster strut. Hopefully, it was Sirius doing that because he'd rather not think of his dad doing that the first time they met. Maybe later, when Harry got to know him better.

Darn the luck, Sirius answered the door, and it was his dad with his hands still on his hips in mid-flap standing in front of the back window, on top of the dining room table.

"We're not turning it down, you tin-eared troll. This is genius!"

Harry turned to look at Sirius. His godfather had just called him a tin-eared troll. Harry loved it. This was going to be great. "I love the Rolling Stones too."

"Wait a minute, you look familiar."

"It's a long story, but I'm here to help you out."

"Help us out? Why? We already got tickets and a portkey."

James jumped off the table. There was some bloke at the door talking to Sirius, wearing round glasses just like his. He turned off the music to find out what was going on. Sometimes Sirius was a bit too trusting. They didn't have time to mess around right now. The two of them were portkeying to the Netherlands in a bit to see the Rolling Stones in concert. They were absolutely brilliant in Glasgow, and later in the month, they'd be seeing them again in London.

"Who are you?"

"It's a long story, but I'm your son, Harry, from the future. I'm here to help you against Voldemort."

"Uh huh," James said, not believing a single word. Except there was a dark wizard named Voldemort. "So uh, why are you here instead of meeting me at work?"

"Work?"

"We're aurors, knucklehead. And right now, we're off duty, but if you are here to cause trouble we can always throw you in the floo," Sirius said with a smile.

"Oh no, I'm not here to cause trouble. I guess I came at a bad time?"

"Yeah," James agree with a heavy note of sarcasm. "By the way, who's the lucky woman I marry?"

"Oh, well um, wait … you marry mum right after you graduated from Hogwarts. Are you kidding around? Is she here?"

Sirius laughed, "Married? Who would want to get married? Especially right out of school. In case you didn't know, we weren't Hufflepuffs."

"No, I mean, I was in Gryffindor too. But you and mum were in Gryffindor, with Sirius and Remus ... and oh yeah, Peter Pettigrew."

James looked thoughtful as he repeated, "Remus. Been a long time since I heard that name. What's this really about, especially with you coming here mentioning Remus? That's not funny."

"I say we bind him up, and dump him in the floo. Let Frank sort him."

"This isn't a joke. I mean I'm your son, and Lily Potter is my mum. See my eyes?"

"Lily Potter? There is no Lily Potter."

"She was Evans, back in school."

Both Sirius and James adopted looks of disgust, before Sirius barked out a laugh, "Evans? Ah Merlin. That's too funny."

"No, it's not, Padfoot."

"Ah come on. You and wifey and wifey's mother living with you. It would be paradise, Prongs. I wouldn't come visit you though. I had enough of that harpy back at school."

"I think we're going to have to floo you down to London, unless you come clean, whoever you are."

"My name's Harry."

"Whatever. Why don't you go bother your mother?"

Sirius was still laughing, "Yeah, Mr. Evans will sort you out quick." He then slammed the door closed in Harry' face.

"Hey!" Harry yelled, and began pounding on the door.

"What?"

"Where can I find her? Maybe she'll listen to me."

The door opened suddenly, and Harry was quickly disarmed and bound by the two aurors. James was looking at his wand, "Holly? Sort of lame if you ask me."

"Hey, it's not lame, and this is pretty rude."

"Annoying aurors is rude," Sirius replied.

"Let me get the connection open," James commented, throwing a pinch of powder on the fire he just started. "Yo Frank, you there? It's Potter. I got a pain in the arse that's giving me trouble and Sirius and I got that concert tonight."

"Potter? What now?"

"Oh, uh, is Frank there?"

"He's busy. Big blow up in Hogsmeade. Another Death Eater."

"Who this time?"

"Rookwood. Would you believe it?"

"The Unspeakable?"

"Yeah, queued up behind Snape in the post office. What a moron."

James laughed, "Maybe his guilt was so much, that he wanted to be caught."

Sirius muttered, "Shit. Another medal for the git."

"Snape?" Harry repeated. He hadn't given Severus Snape any thought, but now realized he was somewhere in England, or more precisely queued up in the Hogsmeade Post Office earlier today.

"Shut it," Sirius said with a light slap to his head. "Death Eaters are important. You're not."

"But … I know the names of a lot of them."

"Oh yeah, name one."

"Your brother, Regulus."

"That's old news. He didn't join on his own, and his Mark got taken off."

"Off?" Harry horrifyingly pictured that the only way to get the Mark off was to chop off the Death Eater's arm.

"Oy, toss him in," James said. "So long, Harry Potter. Maybe I'll check up on you in a couple days in your holding cell or wherever they put you."

"What?" Harry cried as he was levitated by Sirius into the green flames. This is not what he wished for. That damned orb thing was broken. How was he supposed to wake up from this nightmare?

Ow. Being tied up then thrust through a floo was worse than regular flooing. Damn.


	3. Chapter 3 The Ministry

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

AU LE/SS

**Be Careful What You Wish For**

**Chapter Three: The Ministry**

Gawain Robards was looking down at him. A young Gawain Robards.

"Uh, hi, Robards. This probably doesn't look so good, does it?" Harry asked.

"No, it doesn't. How about I get you dragged into a cell, then we can start with the paperwork?"

"Uh, do we really need the paperwork? I … I mean, it's all a big misunderstanding."

"Potter will be back in a couple days. I think it best if you are held till at least then."

"What? Days?" Harry squeaked.

"What's this rubbish?" Alastor Moody asked as he was passing through.

"Bothering Potter and Black."

Moody sneered. Potter and Black were not good aurors. They were good in a fight, but when it came to procedure and lawful proceedings, they were worthless. "We can't lock someone up for being a bother."

"Potter said he showed up on his doorstep talking crazy."

"Well, get him out of the way. Got a bunch of people coming through here."

"Right," Robards agreed.

Too late though, because Moody was only the first of a dozen aurors returning to the office. Harry recognized some of them as his future colleagues and also Rufus Scrimgeour. Trailing at the end of the parade was Severus Snape with Frank Longbottom at his side.

Harry recognized Longbottom immediately. He remembered him from that old photo of the Order, and even though he did not look quite like Neville, there was a bit of his son about him.

Snape though … he was younger and although dressed mostly in black, his clothes were different than what he wore at school. There were even more buttons down the front of his jacket, made of finer material than the sturdy long-wearing wool. There were also black laces, that might be solely decorative along the two front tailored darts on either side of the buttons, and rather than form-fitting trousers, he was wearing something robe-like with its loose skirt-like appearance, but upon closer examination from where Harry still lie upon the floor, it actually was bifurcated. His hair was still the same, but cleaner. It swung over his face as he disagreed with something Longbottom had been saying, when his dark eyes met Harry's.

Severus stopped. Dark magic, here too? The prisoner lying bound on the floor was the source. For a moment he thought James Potter was doing something inanely stupid. When someone, or two someones only have one talent, they tend to show it off constantly. He hated coming to the auror office, or even the Ministry, because the Potter and Black seemed to constantly be in residence and their auror duties consisted entirely of pranks and telling wild stories. The green eyes behind those detestable spectacles and the scar on his forehead were different.

"There you two are," a woman said as she passed between the prisoner on the floor and approached Longbottom and Snape.

"Eh," Frank replied before giving her a kiss. "If things weren't so slow around here, the office wouldn't have emptied itself to go traipsing off to Hogsmeade for a looks-see."

"There's plenty of paperwork that needs filling out, and filing too," Alice replied. "I think the whole lot of you took advantage of my heading down to the court to provide testimony to sneak out."

Harry lay on the floor thinking, since bound tin-eared trolls without their wands could do little else. Alice and Frank Longbottom looked in fine health. Oh darn, they would though, wouldn't they? It had been a long time since he thought of all this. Things were definitely wrong. James Potter did not marry Lily Evans. So if they didn't marry, what about him? James and Sirius didn't sound like he'd … what? Have some sort of fling with her, when she was married to someone else? Harpy, that's the word … wait, and her mother? Did Harry's grandmother, Lily and Petunia's mother, still live? That caused a warm feeling, but it was vague since Harry did not know anything about her. Aunt Petunia's parents were dead for as long as he could remember. Nonetheless, that wish thing was broken, and Harry wanted a do-over. American crap. Oh … American Department of Magic. Could they be playing a trick on him? As head of the British Auror Office, Harry had the misfortune of interfacing on a bureaucratic level with the United States. He mentally rolled his eyes because decades of being married to a Weasley still did not prepare him for this sort of thing.

Frank let a sheepish grin spread across his face. Alice would have come too, if she had been here.

Alice gave her husband a quick frown before she asked, "And how are you, Severus?"

"Fine," he murmured.

"And Lily?"

"Fine too."

Lily? What was Snape … OH! Oh … uh … Harry's brain was overwhelmed. Of course he was aware that Snape had a thing for his mum … but … well … crap. Who's wish was this, his or Snape's? Well, it couldn't be Snape's since he had been dead for over eighty years. And it had probably been a hundred … yeah, since Harry was one hundred, so the falling out between his mum and Snape happened before he was born. Was that crappy American wish stone trying to tell him that he secretly wanted Snape together with his mum? Ewwee … blech. Harry wished things could have been different for Snape, but he also wished that so many things were different for both his parents, together as Mr. and Mrs. Potter, Sirius, Remus and Tonks … the list was just too long. Oh, and Frank and Alice Longbottom. Seeing them together and … uh, functioning and cognizant of what was around them was nice too.

With a jerk of his chin, Snape indicated the bound wizard on the floor, "That gormless waste smells of Dark Magic, similar to a Dark Mark, but not quite. Is he here because of that?"

"Whose is that?" Frank asked, pointing at Harry.

Gawain Robards replied, "Potter threw him through the floo and wants him held."

Frank rolled his eyes. Potter dumping rubbish on them. "What for?"

"Um … harassment? Talking crazy? He's off to that music thing with Black."

Both the Longbottoms groaned, along with half the aurors present. They had been subjected to Potter and Black singing badly and pantomiming muggles. It was not a pretty sight.

Alice folded her arms over her chest. Potter and Black again. They were not allowed to hold people without reason, and frankly, Potter and Black made a lot of people talk crazy.

Harry tuned in when he heard 'Potter' mentioned, and tried to reason with Robards, the Longbottoms and anyone that would listen, "It was a misunderstanding. A big mix-up." Hesitantly, he added, "They jinxed first, then uh, trussed me up and tossed me in the floo. I had just arrived, and was about to explain it all to Auror Robards here, when you came in." Harry was not going to get anything accomplished in this wish if he spent however long sitting in a Ministry holding cell while his dad was off at a Rolling Stones concert.

Frank exchanged a glance with Alice. They had a full load of casework, however Alice was right. They could not keep a wizard here indefinitely without reason. The Dark Arts would be reason, but they'd have to find it themselves or ask Snape to point it out. Snape rarely gave his services free to the Ministry, but he did say he smelt similar to a Dark Mark. Rookwood had been a freebie because the Death Eater queued next to him and then mouthed off when he recognized Snape. Rookwood had always been an arrogant arse. Being an Unspeakable would not protect him from justice, once he recovered enough to stand trial and get sent to Azkaban.

He asked Robard, "Did you want to work on it? Or should we?"

"You can have him. Potter originally asked for you when he flooed."

Frank made a face. Just because they were in Gryffindor together did not mean that he should pick up Potter's and Black's slack. "All right. Where's his wand? We can _priori _that."

"I don't know."

"Oh no," Harry exclaimed. "James took it. He kept it, didn't he?"

Robard shrugged, "Guess so."

Tsk'ing came from aurors overhearing that. Possible evidence misplaced and probably mishandled … again. Harry knew exactly why they were clucking. He and Ron got into plenty of trouble over not following procedure, getting too caught up to fill out paperwork, and not properly handling evidence. Though they never chucked a bound suspect through the floo system into the auror office for their colleagues to sort.

"Let's go," Frank commented as he levitated Harry.

"Can you stay, Severus?" Alice asked. She knew their friend would not let them make an obvious error. His skills were rare, but he was not interested in working for the Ministry on a permanent basis. Severus had studied the Dark Arts, and was the only one that removed Dark Marks from wizards that were _imperius'_edto join up with Voldemort … for a hefty price.

"I am expected home, Auror Longbottom."

"Do you have any time tomorrow to stop by?" Frank asked. He could keep this fellow till tomorrow, and bring up the subject when he finalized his report about what happened in Hogsmeade with Rookwood.

With a sigh, Severus asked, "Do I have to?"

"Maybe Lily and you could join the two of us for lunch," Alice suggested, knowing Severus preferred to socialize with his wife, rather than alone. Unless he could absent himself from the room, and leave Lily to handle things.

Even Harry knew the replying grunt from Snape meant he'd rather not. If Harry remembered Snape correctly, he had a razor sharp tongue so if he really meant 'no' then there would be no doubt regarding his opinion of Frank and Alice Longbottom. The three of them were friends, along with his mum.

"Excellent. See you at noon then," Frank responded with a grin, intentionally misinterpreting Severus' response.

Harry's body struck the door frame before he was nudged into the office, and secured to an uncomfortable wooden chair. There were photos of Neville … wait, having had a couple children himself, this Neville appeared to be a toddler of two or maybe three. How long after Harry had the killing curse rebound off his noggin in October 1981 was it till the Longbottoms were attacked by Crouch and the Lestranges? Or was Neville 'the Chosen One' since there was no Harry? Frank and Alice certainly didn't look like they were in hiding. If Snape was friends with them, and Voldemort said he was targeting them, wouldn't Snape tip them off?

Frank got comfortable with a quill and parchment, and allowed Alice to start the interrogation.

"How may I address you?" she asked.

"What year is it?"

"It's 1982. Do you have different names or titles that depend on the year?" she kidded.

"Oh no, I'm always Harry. Harry Potter."

Having already noticed the resemblance, Alice asked, "Is this some sort of domestic dispute?"

"Huh? Well, it's difficult to explain. I tried telling James and Sirius. I'm uh … I don't know, is the right term I'm from a parallel universe? There I'm his son, obviously there's a time difference too, but something's really gone wrong."

"My condolences," Frank muttered. James Potter's son. Potter was probably physically capable of fathering children, but mentally and emotionally he was not ready to be a parent.

Alice gave Frank a dark glare. "That sounds rather fantastic. Why don't we talk about why you are really here? You like the Dark Arts?"

"What? No, I don't." Had James mentioned the Dark Arts? Harry didn't think he had.

"What sort of dealings do you have with Voldemort?"

"You said his name?"

"Can't you?"

"Well, yeah … Voldemort, but isn't it … I mean, most people don't say it."

"You prefer the Dark Lord than?"

"Uh, not exactly."

"What's your connection to him?"

Harry realized that his scar could be the way it used to be. Was that good, or was that terribly bad? If he hadn't been turned into a horcrux here, was he back to being a horcrux even though by eighteen, he had defeated Voldemort? What Harry needed was a snake to be sure. Either he was a Parselmouth or not. That would be a good test. And Hermione wasn't even here to tell him that … but she would be able to explain this crazy wish somehow. Snape and his mum, his dad and Mick Jagger, Sirius and Keith Richards. There were just some things that weren't meant to be.

"Can I reserve the right to answer that? I mean I'm not trying to be a git, but I used to have a cursed scar on my forehead, and now that he's alive here, maybe it's back to being cursed."

"How did it become cursed?"

"My forehead was fine till he hit me with Killing Curse, after my mum gave her life to protect me. It rebounded, but failed to kill him because of some life-extending magic he had performed."

"Who's your mother?"

"Lily Evans marries James Potter. I overheard you talking to Snape and that's why I know this is all hosed up."

"That's not the least bit funny," Frank sternly admonished.

"I concur," Alice intoned. James Potter and Lily Evans. Alice may not have been in Gryffindor with them like Frank, but she knew how ridiculous such a match would be. There'd have to be heavy spell work or love potions involved. They were already graduated when those horrible Marauders, including Potter, set a werewolf on Severus and Lily as a prank. A bunch of folk were kicking themselves now over hushing it up then, and backing the rich, pureblood wizards because their reputations were on the line. Black and Potter showed not the least bit of gratitude, and then set off to do even more outrageous things. Was this Harry Potter prank going to be yet another laugh for them?

Frank and Alice exchanged a glance before Frank said, "Well, I guess we'll have to hold you till this can be cleared up."

"How can it be cleared up?"

"Oh, that's about as likely as anything you've said so far."


	4. Chapter 4 The Interrogation

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

AU LE/SS

**Be Careful What You Wish For**

**Chapter Four: The Interrogation**

Harry was bored. This was a pretty crummy wish. He was sitting in a holding cell at the Ministry, and had been served dinner, breakfast and lunch through a slot in the door so far.

He stood when he heard the lock clang. Alice and Frank Longbottom were followed by Snape. This cell was not big enough for all of them, but next to Snape was his mum. The red hair. His green eyes. Harry had imagined her build was similar to Aunt Petunia's. She always looked that way in the Mirror, and when he saw her spirit from Voldemort's wand and from the Resurrection Ring. Maybe the past year or two changed her metabolism?

She was wearing grey and green robes, and Snape was wearing a matching green shirt under his black ensemble. Hopefully his mum was nicer than James had been. Harry wasn't too sure if she was married to Snape. His attitude may have rubbed off some.

"Still Harry Potter in 1982?" Frank asked.

"Uh, I guess. Is that bad?"

"Depends."

Lily looked up to Severus, and he muttered, "He still smells."

"He said it's the scar on his forehead," Alice volunteered.

"May I?" Severus asked while looking Harry in the eye.

Harry smiled and said, "I trust you, Severus."

Severus raised an eyebrow before putting his left hand on Harry's scar, while holding his wand in his right hand.

Immediately, Harry felt the connection to Voldemort open. He had remembered it was painfully unpleasant, but time had dimmed his memory. He had also forgotten how repulsive Voldemort was. He was not as inhuman as Harry remembered him. Perhaps he was missing some horcruxes yet, and retained more of his soul? What had made him so snakelike when he lost so much of his soul?

The connection closed as Severus removed his hand, Harry's knees buckled and he fell into his former teacher. Severus did nothing to prevent Harry's fall and let him slide to the floor at his feet.

"You haven't changed one bit," Harry groused.

Ignoring the complaint, Severus explained, "It's different than the Dark Mark. I could see Voldemort through this. I barely feel him through a Mark."

"Sev, get out of the way. He fell on the floor, and you are standing around like a big, black pillock." To Harry, Lily asked, "Would you like some water?"

"Yes, please." He felt immediately better once he started to drink it, knowing that she was the kind person he imagined her to be. Suddenly he wanted to tell her everything. She'd understand. He could see that just looking into her eyes, that looked so much like his. That's probably why he trusted her so implicitly. She'd listen. She wouldn't tie him up, throw him into the floo, and ride off on a flying motorcycle to go to a Rolling Stones concert. Harry wanted to tell her everything. Yes, Lily would understand.

She even helped him up onto the bed so he could sit down. He told her, "I'm all right."

"What is your name?"

"Harry James Potter."

"Who are your parents?"

"James Potter and Lily Potter."

"Me?"

"Yes, you are my mum."

"Why did I marry James Potter?"

"You loved him."

Severus snorted, and Frank snickered while Alice shushed both of them.

"How did we meet?"

"At Hogwarts. You were both in the same year in Gryffindor."

"Love at first sight?"

"No, you hated him. Called him a toerag. It wasn't till later. Maybe sixth or seventh year."

Lily frowned. Toerag was right. James Potter still was a sweaty, disgusting, foul toerag. If it weren't for Frank and Alice, Sev and her would have nothing to do with aurors or the Ministry.

"How old are you?"

"One hundred. My birthday was last month."

"Oh, congratulations."

Severus rolled his eyes. Why was Lily always polite?

"Thank you."

"So between you turning one hundred and today in 1982, what happened?"

"I got a present. Damned Americans."

"That good?"

"Some wishing thing. I didn't word it carefully and ended up here."

"What did you wish for?"

"Befriend and aid my happy parents defeat Voldemort, after they discover I am their son who is mysteriously the same age as them."

"I am happy. I don't know about the befriending part."

"How did you get that scar?"

"Voldemort cast the killing curse at me when I was one year old, and you sacrificed yourself to save me."

"James raised you?"

"He was dead. Voldemort killed him before he came after you and I."

"Who raised you?"

"Petunia and Vernon. I lived with them and their son, Dudley."

"At eleven, did you go to Hogwarts?"

"Yes."

"Which house?"

"Gryffindor."

"Who was with you in Gryffindor?"

"Neville Longbottom, Ronald Weasley, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan, Hermione Granger, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil."

They exchanged glances, Neville was Frank and Alice's son's name. Convenient for him to know that. Weasley was also a Gryffindor family and likely to have a student at Hogwarts at any time.

"You know Severus?"

"Yes, he taught Potions at Hogwarts when I started."

Severus laughed. Teach at Hogwarts. Harry, if that's what he wanted to call himself, was deranged.

"You said you trust Severus?"

"He's the bravest man I've ever known."

"What a kiss arse," Frank muttered.

"Frank," Lily admonished. Severus could be brave. He was just picky about choosing his battles.

"Did you know your scar connected you with Voldemort?"

"Not till I was a teenager. Before then, Voldemort had been torn loose from his body from the rebounding killing curse. Most people thought he was dead."

"Do you know how he avoided death?" Lily asked. She knew that the killing curse had been successfully cast at him, but Voldemort always recovered.

"He made horcruxes with pieces of his soul."

Lily looked at Severus. Pieces of soul sounded like Dark Arts. Her husband shrugged in response. The Dark Arts were varied and constantly changing. Knowing everything was impossible, especially when so much was kept as closely guarded secrets.

"Do you know what these horcruxes are?"

"Yes, Voldemort hid them in important objects."

"List them please."

"Tom Riddle's diary, Salazar Slytherin's locket, Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem, Helga Hufflepuff's cup, Marvolo Gaunt's ring, his snake Nagini and me."

"When did he make them?"

"Different times. I don't think he's made them all here because he looks more human."

"With you being one hundred, he's still alive where you're from?"

"No, he hit me with a killing curse and that took care of the piece of soul hidden in me. He didn't know it was there."

"When was that?"

"Over eighty years ago."

"What was the year?"

"1998."

"If you were not under the effects of Veritaserum, would you share information with us?"

"Yes."

"With any reservations?"

"Maybe."

"If you had your wand, would you have fought any of us?"

"No."

"Do you know all of us in this room?"

"Yes."

"You trust all four of us?"

"Yes."

"Do you trust James Potter?"

"Yes."

"Do you trust Sirius Black?"

"Yes."

"Are you an idiot?"

"No."

"I think the veritaserum is wearing off," Severus muttered.

"What is your profession after you graduate from school?"

"Auror and Head of the Auror Office."

"In the past couple of days since you came to 1982, what are the mistakes you made?"

"I trusted James Potter and Sirius Black, and they took my wand."

"Any others?"

"No."

Lily whispered something to Severus. He shook his head and Lily argued with him.

"Was Neville a good student?" Alice asked.

"He tried hard, and his best subject is Herbology."

"Did he do anything heroic?"

Frank elbowed her, 'Harry Potter' was crazy.

"He cut off Nagini's head. That was Voldemort's snake and the last horcrux. He also stood up to us in school when he knew we were wrong, even though we were his friends. Dumbledore awarded him points for that and we won the House Cup."

Lily let Harry finish speaking about Neville before asking, "Harry, would you try to hurt me, if I let you come to my house?"

"No."

"Would you hurt Severus?"

"No."

"Would you hurt Rose Evans, my mother?"

"No."

"Would you intentionally break things?"

"No."

"Would you get into other mischief like snooping and setting fires?"

"No."

"What kind of question is that?" Alice asked.

"If he's James Potter's son, a legitimate one," Lily replied.

"Harry, in what ways are you like your father?"

"I have his messy hair and play quidditch."

"Do you attack people because they annoy you?"

"No."

"Would you rather help Petunia clean her house or play quidditch?"

"Play quidditch."

Lily whispered to the others, "That was a trick question."

"You knew me?" Severus asked.

"Yes."

"Did I ever compare you to James Potter?"

"Yes."

"What did I say?"

"I broke rules and strutted around the castle because I am arrogant."

"What was the worst rule you broke while at Hogwarts?"

"When Sirius Black broke out of Azkaban, I snuck out of Hogwarts to go to Hogsmeade when I wasn't supposed to."

Severus smiled. Sirius Black did belong in Azkaban. Harry's delusions could be amusing if it included more tales of Black rotting in prison.

"What punishment did you receive for that?"

"You were very angry, but Prof. Lupin saved me. He said that my parents would have been disappointed that I risked my life to sneak out to visit Zonko's."

Lily was momentarily shaken by the name Lupin, but commented, "Zonko's. Figures."

"Was that Professor Remus Lupin?" Severus asked.

"Yes."

"He taught at Hogwarts?"

"Yes."

"Was there anything different about him?"

"He was a werewolf."

"That's the difference," Lily stated. "When Severus and I were attacked by Lupin as a werewolf, when we were trapped and couldn't get away from him, Severus ended up killing him by transmuting a lot of things into silver to keep all his parts from coming back together."

Severus' eyes narrowed, "So if I did not kill him, Dumbledore continued to protect him. Why would I work with Remus Lupin?"

"Dumbledore made you," Harry answered, even though the question was not directed at him.

Lily crossed her arms over her chest and practically spat out, "And I end up marrying one of the bastards that tried to kill us and becoming Mrs. Lily Toerag. Isn't that lovely?"

Harry replied, "Yes."

"I'm sure it was a very unhappy marriage," Lily asserted. "That's why your wish failed. You said I needed to be happy. Why did you word it that way?"

"I didn't want to end up at Hogwarts when you were students and hated each other."

Severus was mulling over the 'Dumbledore made you' statement. At some point there too, he made an error that gave the old man a hold over him. Dumbledore had tried that when he killed his pet werewolf, but there was only so long that he would toe the line. Severus had played along, and was so good at pretending to be his lapdog he got made Head Boy. Once he graduated though, what werewolf? If I had killed a student, and Dumbledore knew about it, why would he have recommended me as Head Boy? There must be some mistake. It took a while to reach that point where Dumbledore realized Severus was no longer his flunky. Severus' original plan to leave Britain with Lily fell on its face when Mr. Evans died and Mrs. Evans fell ill. They could not leave her. On that thought, Severus asked, "You were raised by Petunia. Where was Rose Evans?"

"She died before I was born."

Lily gasped. James Potter was such a selfish prick, he did not care how sick her mother was. People, like Potter and Black, teased Severus because mum lived with them. Frank's mum, Augusta, took care of Neville while they were at the office, so they were understanding. Mum being a muggle was not important to them. Although it was hard to imagine herself married to James Potter, Lily could easily imagine him throwing a temper tantrum and demanding Lily choose between him, as her husband, or her mother. Petunia would not have ignored mum, but Severus and her had used magic on mum to keep her going when she had gotten really bad.

"Would you like to meet your grandmother?"

"Very much."

"Will you scare her by talking about magic and that you are her possible grandson, or can you keep a secret?"

"I can keep a secret unless she asks me for the truth, and I find I cannot lie to her."

Lily hesitated, then said, "Yeah, I guess we'll take him, but if he complains that Sev is poking around too much with his scar, we might want to dump him back on you. I am not a babysitter for the Ministry."

"I would be happy for any information about Voldemort you can dig out of him," Frank commented.

"Yes," Alice agreed. "We'll look up that horcrux thing. Maybe some Unspeakables have heard that one, since he had Rookwood, he may know too many secrets."

"Is the paperwork in order regarding my fee?" Severus asked. Fighting Voldemort was good, but wasting his skills to walk in here to be insulted by the office clowns meant he did not do it for free.

"Yeah, but can you only charge us for when you are working with him?" Alice asked. Sometimes Potter and Black made Severus so angry that the Ministry received such a lengthy invoice that they were sure that they'd never be allowed to consult Severus again.

"And room and board," Lily added. "We will have him in our house temporarily and that's going to cost extra."

"Do you have a spare closet, and could you feed him bread and water please?" Frank joked. "It's only slightly better than what they feed the prisoners here."

"My mum does not do bread and water," Lily stated.

"And she'd be most upset that she keeps the guest room perfect, if we don't use it," Severus added.


	5. Chapter 5 The Snape Home

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

AU LE/SS

**Be Careful What You Wish For**

**Chapter Five: The Snape Home**

Harry felt a gentle rocking motion and opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by red rose bushes. A whole trellis covered in them. Looking around, he knew this wish or dream or whatever this was was getting seriously, seriously weird. There was nothing about this that was normal. Harry was sitting beside Severus Snape in a two-person swing and surrounded by climbing red roses.

"Uh …"

"Making you sick?" Severus asked.

"Um, I don't think so. How'd I get here?"

"We _confund_ed you so you won't know where we live."

"Ah."

"Lily went inside so Mrs. Evans knows we have someone else for dinner."

"It's that late?"

"Not really. She starts early sometimes."

"I uh … I never met her … back when I lived with aunt Petunia. I barely know what she looks like. She was behind mum when I looked at the Mirror of Erised."

"Are you asking me to describe her?"

"Um, I'll know soon enough. I'm trying to preface something odd."

"Odd? You? I'm all ears."

"I knew you."

"You said that earlier. I taught at Hogwarts."

"But um … at the end, Dumbledore, he uh, told you stuff that I needed to know to finish Voldemort, and you were mortally wounded and you gave me a bunch of your memories. I want to be honest in case I blurt out something like when you first met my mum and Petunia at the playground."

"That was important to defeating Voldemort?"

"Since you were my professor, we had not talked about any of that, and um, you gave me extra to fill in pieces of the big story."

"Well, I can understand not talking to you. You are rather hideous."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, it was kind of like that. So I'm a bit dazed to be sitting with you on a swing under all these roses."

"Mrs. Evans likes them. Our garden's full of them."

"You catch Death Eaters?"

"Sometimes."

"Are you one?"

"Pardon?"

"Um, you spied on Voldemort for Dumbledore. You had a Dark Mark on your left arm."

"Dumbledore? Why would he stop me from removing Dark Marks from Death Eaters that don't want them?"

"You get them off? Sirius said Regulus had his removed."

"I took off Regulus'. You talked with Potter and Black for a while?"

"Not really. I was trying to prove I knew stuff."

"That went well?"

"No, they didn't believe anything, took my wand and got rid of me."

"Did they abuse their authority as aurors, or they were justified in their actions?"

"Uh,what do you mean?"

"You said you were an auror and eventually headed them. Surely you have an opinion on their methodology."

"I was not breaking any laws. I was not under suspicion of doing dark magic. So I do not agree with what they did."

"Because it was you?"

"Me? Well, they shouldn't do that to anybody knocking on their door."

"Their door? Which house were you at?"

"Godric's Hollow."

"That's Potter's house. Black lives in London."

"He still lives in Grimmauld Place?"

"No, his brother lives there. He's got a large flat, but it's in muggle London so the motorcycle keeps creating a problem. He doesn't care about the secrecy statute. Almost had him on that one when he mowed down Mrs. Evans' rose bushes here with the damned thing."

"Why'd he do that?"

"Angry at me," Severus said, stopping his gentle rocking of the swing and standing. "For Mrs. Evans' convenience, we live in a muggle neighborhood. Any motorcycle causes our neighbors to look out their windows. Flying ones are especially out of place. Try not to imitate Sirius Black during your stay here."

Harry followed Snape towards the back of the white house and said, "I'm not like that."

"It's all fixed now. That was over a year ago."

"Um, don't they notice how you're dressed?"

"The fence is high, and it's magically difficult to see what's going on in the back garden. I only exit through the front door when I am dressed appropriately for that side of the house."

The house from behind looked very muggle. Two stories of white shingle with bright red shutters, and even a screened in back porch with a table with two benches. There was even a clothes line, one of those four sided aluminum things, rather than interrupting the view of all the rose bushes. Besides the arbor with the swing, there were a number of benches with trellises, some statuary, and bushes and trees covered in flowers. Harry frowned as he noted that a lot of work went into this garden with its pretend hillocks and a little bridge over a waterless stream of decorative pebbles. His aunt Petunia liked flowers, but it was a wide variety, rather than concentrating on one species like this garden.

"Do the Dursleys still live in Little Whinging?"

"Hmm," Severus murmured, trying not to specifically answer that. They also lived in Surrey so his mother-in-law was close to her grandson, Dudley. "Your cousin is still young now."

"I saw photos of Neville in the Longbottoms' office. They said it was 1982. I went to live with the Dursleys on November first, 1981. I wasn't sure they'd live in the same house since things are different, but I guess it'd have to be significantly different to effect them."

"Why's that?"

"They hate magic."

"I hadn't noticed."

Harry immediately stood still, rather than following Snape up the stairs, and demanded, "You are kidding, aren't you?" He then emphasized the names, "Vernon and Petunia Dursley?"

"Maybe a little. Dursley only cares that we park a nice automobile in his driveway when we visit."

Harry laughed, "You had me worried. That's exactly how uncle Vernon was when the Weasleys came to pick me up one summer. He fretted over what kind of car they'd have."

"A new Jaguar creates an emotional dilemma for him. I let him drive it while we're there."

Hooting in amusement, Harry crowed, "Oh, that's got to take the cake. A Bentley or Roller would be too posh for Privet Drive. You know, like showing off?"

"I don't think Lily's mother would want to drive one of those. She's agitated enough with this one."

Severus held open the back door for Harry.

"Thanks," Harry said as he stepped through into a small room with wellies, umbrellas, hooks with a couple slickers, and over there was a washer and dryer with shelves containing all the necessary ingredients to do laundry like a muggle. There was also a narrow table with something going on with a couple twigs of rosebush tied together with string placed in black soil.

Harry swallowed. This was very muggle. He was in his mum's house, and about to meet his grandmother for the first time.

"Budge up. I want to close the door."

"Oh, sorry, I haven't been in a muggle house since before I graduated from Hogwarts."

"It's all muggle so you'll have to adjust. There's no house elves to pop round with cocoa in the middle of the night."

Severus led him through the next door into the kitchen, and Harry breathed, "Brilliant."

"It's only the white making it look so bright in here."

That wasn't what Harry meant, but Snape was right. The cabinets and counters were white. Appliances. How Harry missed appliances. A big, double sided refrigerator and freezer with an ice maker. The regular stove with an oven, a second oven in the wall, a dishwasher and a microwave oven. The curtain under the sink was a bit old-fashioned, but it matched the white curtains printed with red roses on the windows, along with the matching tablecloth on the table in here. There were even plates mounted on the wall as decorations.

Severus continued on into the dining room and through the lounge to their small library. Neither Lily nor her mother were down here. He could see the last room downstairs, with the dark television.

"I think they went upstairs."

Harry was staring out the window at the front garden with the muggle street beyond it. A car drove by, and there really was a gleaming black Jaguar four-door sedan in the drive of this house. Yeah, uncle Vernon wouldn't mind borrowing the keys to that. When he turned away from the window, Snape had disappeared. Harry looked at the room behind this one, and found a cozy room for watching television. No one was in it.

Snape had said upstairs. Harry went back to where he saw stairs and went up them. His former teacher was at the top of them with his arms crossed over his chest listening to his mum finish saying, "... either yours or we're going to have to get him some."

Glancing down at Harry on the stairs, he asked, "Do you have any clothes, other than what's on your back?"

"Uh no … I didn't pack anything." Harry was worried. Wear Snape's clothes? Maybe he could offer to wash his out each night.

"Can you take him, Sev?"

"Me?"

"It's guy clothes."

"You buy my muggle clothes," Severus argued.

"You're easy. Black with long sleeves."

"Should I take him now?"

Harry was surprised. That was one of the shortest arguments he ever witnessed that did not end in violence.

"Mum," Lily called. "Can you move dinner back a little? Sev's got to take Harry to the store."

There was a surge of warmth in his chest. His mother said his name. Then Harry became short of breath. His grandmother came out of a room to answer. She looked more like Petunia than Lily. "I've barely started. Can you be back by 6:30, Severus?"

"Yes." He looked at Harry and said, "You look all right. I need to change."

Harry nodded and stood where he was, staring at Rose Evans.

Lily shifted and introduced them, "Harry, this is my mother, Mrs. Rose Evans. And mum, this is Harry."

He blushed as he noticed Mrs. Evans looking him over. Maybe he should have dressed better before making that wish, or gotten cleaned up after being thrown through a floo and left in a cell for a day. He hadn't even combed his hair since he got here.

With a nod in his direction, Mrs. Evans acknowledged him by saying, "Harry."

"Mrs. Evans," he replied, then feeling he should say more, continued, "thank you for letting me stay here."

"You don't look like most of their patients."

"Patients?"

Mrs. Evans looked confused, and Lily added for Harry's benefit, "We're officially healers, Harry, but specialists. We're supposed to be looking at that Dark Magic scar on your forehead, remember?"

"Oh … right. Sorry. I've never thought about it as a malady. More like a pain in the rear and my head."

The ladies nodded in agreement then Mrs. Evans said, "You'll be staying down here, Harry. The lavatory here's for your use."

Lily added while pointing down the hall, "I guess you figured out that those doors are our room. If there's some emergency, that's uh … where you can come knocking."

Harry looked at the double doors Snape had disappeared through. Yeah, like he'd go waking Snape up for anything short of an emergency? He may seem somewhat civil, but it was still Severus Snape.

Speaking of the man, he came out of those doors. Even civil Snape liked wearing black. All black. Black with long sleeves and black slacks. Harry noted they were muggle clothes, but on Severus Snape, it still looked like Snape. If he put on blue jeans and a pair of high-top trainers, then Harry would have been shocked.

"Your hair, Sev," Lily reminded him.

"What?"

Out of the air, Lily conjured an elastic … yes, black … and met him in the hall to pull his hair back and doubled the band over the handful of hair she held.

"Stop moving, I'm trying to get it in the center."

Harry had to admit, now Snape looked different. Not a lot different, but his lack of hair style looked better off his face.

"It does not matter," Severus complained.

"Hmm," was Lily's response, but she did not desist until she got the ponytail the way she wanted it.

"Come on," he said to Harry after Lily released his hair, allowing him to descend the stairs.

"Keys?" Lily asked.

"Yes."

"Wallet?"

"Yes, I remember what I need to carry."

At the bottom of the stairs, Harry noticed Snape giving him a glance from head to toe, before he opened the front door.

The front of the house was just as muggle as the back, though with a lot less roses. There were uniform sized rose bushes lined up against the house, not all over with little hills and all that other stuff.

Harry hesitated as they approached the car. Snape really drove it?

"You get in on that side," he muttered, pointing to the left side passenger door. (AN: UK style)

"Yeah," Harry responded, not liking this at all. Even if he had learned to drive, how much practice did he get? Ron had mentioned something about that after he got his driver's license. It was one thing to learn how to drive, but so impractical to use it for getting around when apparating and flooing were so much faster, especially with Hermione wanting to get somewhere efficiently.

He got in. This felt nothing like the passenger seat in Ron's multi-colored Hillman Husky. Ron's car was nothing Vernon Dursley would approve of, but it was excellent for driving practice when dumpsters and rubbish bins appeared out of nowhere.

"Grab this thing over your shoulder, pull it across, and snap it into the opposite side at your waist."

Harry swallowed. A seatbelt made it seem realer. Well, more real than a wish and Ron's improvisation with charms and other spells to avoid major collisions. Was Snape having him on with this? He looked over to see if he was laughing or smiling, but it appeared that Snape was making sure his mirrors were in the proper position.

"You can cast a _supersens ..."_

"I've already cast it, Potter."

"Harry, please."

"Whatever. Don't touch any of the instruments."

He stopped breathing as the engine was turned on, then he noticed Snape had his wand in his right hand while holding the steering wheel. That showed some degree of caution. If Snape was going to recklessly go barreling down the road at the wheel of an automobile, than hell might as well be freezing over.

His driving was not bad. It was smooth, the way he shifted gears and did the things with the pedals. Figures, Severus Snape could gracefully drive a car like James Bond. Or wait, that was a different brand wasn't it?

Was that … Harry leaned closer to Snape to get a better look.

"Don't touch anything," was the repeated warning.

"Oh, no, I … I mean, you have a scar on your neck."

"I am aware of that."

"But you're too young ..." Harry began, then realized that that did not apply here, and Snape had not survived that neck wound.

"For what? I was attacked by a werewolf while I was a student at Hogwarts."

"Oh, but … I thought you weren't hurt."

"Who told you that? Both Lily and I were bleeding all over each other."

"What? I mean what was she doing there?"

"Why wouldn't she be with me?"

"Not what she was doing with you. Where I'm from you went to the Shrieking Shack alone."

"The Shrieking Shack? No, we were doing something for Prof. Sprout for extra credit and got trapped in a greenhouse. We crawled under a table, then I shattered the glass, Lily moved all the shards into the werewolf, and we transmuted the glass shards and anything else that was handy into silver."

"Was it Remus Lupin?"

"Yes, but we did not know that then. It was mostly over when Potter … James Potter, came running in."

"He was trying to stop it."

"Stop it? I don't know anything about that, he had been up to something because it was five in the morning. He ran up to the school to tell on us, rather than helping us contain the werewolf. It was still alive then. It was dark, because we had done so much damage to the greenhouse that the overhead lighting was gone."

"Didn't he say anything?"

"Why did he have to explain anything? He's James Potter. Dumbledore gave him points for being smart enough to go for help. He stopped talking to Black for a bit after that, but that might have been because Black figured that Potter could have tried to help Lupin, or said something to us, rather than running away."

Harry doubted that was the reason. If there was any similarity with the real time then Sirius probably had something to do with Remus being in the greenhouse. They were still chums now. How could James forgive Sirius? Did Sirius lead Remus there? Or was it something else? Did James do it, rather than Sirius, because mum was with Snape?

"Were you threatened with expulsion here too?"

"Yes."

Harry was quietly thinking over this change of events, and how it changed everything when Snape asked, "This place all right?"

"Yes."

Snape cheated with the parking after he waited for another car to pass. He majorly cheated in a way only a Slytherin could while there was a fellow clearly visible, sitting in the passenger seat of a neighboring car, reading his newspaper, while their car spun completely around, in place, and slid backwards into the spot.

Harry only shook his head in disbelief because the muggle didn't even look up from his paper.

Inside, Harry chose some clothes, including everything he needed to wear from the skin out. Not a lot because he did not know how long he'd be here, and he could do his own laundry. He kept looking at Snape, but like the one Harry knew, he was choosing to ignore all things Potter.

Severus did not care what Harry Potter chose. The Ministry was paying for it, along with his bag of meat pie flavored crisps.


	6. Chapter 6 Taking a peek at the Dark Lord

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

AU LE/SS

**Be Careful What You Wish For**

**Chapter Six: Taking a peek at the Dark Lord**

After a fabulous dinner, where Harry did note that both his mum and Snape seemed to enjoy a bit more beefy pot roast than the average diner, Lily suggested, "How about we get some work done on that scar, Harry?"

"Like what?"

"A bit more of Severus prodding at it, while I take notes."

"Isn't that dangerous? Sometimes Voldemort knew I was using the connection and gave me false images. One time he sort of controlled me, but I flopped onto the floor. I was an uncomfortable match for him."

Lily shrugged dismissively because it would be the Ministry's decision as to what to use the notes for, but Severus suggested, "I can lock you up when we're not looking at you."

"Thanks for the confidence in my abilities, but here, he has no idea who I am."

"Neither do we, for that matter," Severus replied.

Harry rolled his eyes, but Lily agreed, "Sev's right. You have an interesting story, but it's quite impossible, if I had anything to say about it."

"Let's make this quick. I want to watch the game."

"Again? Did you do something to make the games more often?"

"No."

"I don't remember there being so many games before."

"They played. It wasn't till the television offered that service to have all the games available down here."

"What?"

"We live in the wrong part of the country to have all the games broadcast so we pay extra for the games I want to watch."

"Whatever, as long as you let mum watch her shows."

"That's why she has a television in her room, Lily. The office?"

"We might as well go in the lounge so you can get comfortable, Sev."

To Harry, Severus asked, "Have you ever had someone cast legilimency on you?"

"Yeah, you."

"Oh," Lily answered, "Well, then I guess we can do it anywhere then."

"Uh … I usually ended up on the floor," Harry confessed.

"Were you resisting?" Severus asked.

"You were trying to teach me occlumency. I never got the hang of it."

"Lounge then," Lily decided. "This time though, try to not resist, if you can."

"No, I think Harry should keep his mind blank. If Voldemort realizes someone is spying on him, we should make it hard for him to figure out."

"He'll find out eventually," Lily muttered as she got writing supplies from the office. "The Ministry is crawling with his people."

"Another reason why Longbottom wanted Harry out of there."

"Hmm, come on, Harry. Did you want to get comfortable first, Sev?"

Rather than answering, Harry watched Snape shut the blinds and turn on a couple of the lamps before he sat down and allowed the end seat to turn into a recliner.

Lily sat down and spread her things out on the low table in the middle.

"Come over here."

Harry walked over to Snape, and he patted the sofa next to him. "I need to see your eyes, and since you said you have trouble remaining upright, it might be best if you lie down so the connection can remain open."

He sat, questioning, "Lie down?"

"You said you trusted me," Severus replied with a smirk that Harry recognized from his years of being taunted by his potions professor.

"I do," Harry muttered.

While Severus pulled Harry so he ended up lying face up across his lap, he reminded him, "My wife is here taking notes, so please behave yourself."

Harry sputtered indignantly. It was Snape who asked him to lie down like this.

Severus touched the scar, stroking it, before using his wand to push through it to the other side.

Harry felt his face screw up. It wasn't exactly what he'd call painful. Definitely not anything like when Voldemort did something that made his head hurt when he was young.

It was not bad at all, he decided, just uncomfortable, so he kept talking, " … and now that Rookwood ..."

He stopped. Something was off.

Eventually the masked man kneeling before him, whispered, "Yes, my Lord?"

"Never mind. We don't need Rookwood if he was such an idiot."

"As you say, my Lord. Perhaps we should get rid of Snape. He's ..."

"All the traitors go to Snape. How many times have I told you that?"

"But my Lord, they would not even think of betraying you ..."

"Avery, you are not here to think. Snape is not allied with Dumbledore. He also does not take orders from the Ministry. He only exposes the traitors. When the time comes, he will be dealt with."

Harry thought that made perfect sense to him. Why would someone go to Dumbledore? The old fool would only ask them to tell him everything he knew before turning the traitor over to the Ministry for questioning, torture and Azkaban. A traitor who had a little money would go to Snape. He'd quietly free them from the Dark Mark for a fee, and the individual never had to tell anyone he or she was ever a Death Eater. However, the Dark Lord knew who they were. Avery truly was a moron. Snape had to be a talented practitioner of the Dark Arts. He could be useful, and he definitely had a family to use as leverage against him. A mudblood and her muggle mother. Pathetic.

He, Lord Voldemort, could be patient. Let the other side think that the 'good guys were winning', while every worthless maggot in his ranks crawled away, showing their true colors. Then he would be left with the best Death Eaters when he made his move.

Wait? Harry thought of himself as Lord Voldemort? Ugh … he was not the sort to faint at anything, but Harry's mind went blank or black or whatever it could be right now.

He heard a very emphatic groan, followed by a growl of, "Dunderhead."

Harry opened his eyes to see Snape putting his arm down. His other hand was holding a half-full pint glass with about an inch of tan foam floating atop it. He took a sip and put it down on the other side of him.

He turned his head. Just when he thought this wish or dream couldn't get any freakier, he saw on the television screen that there was a green field of grass with white lines, with men in jersey and the familiar black and white ball that Harry was familiar with from his childhood. There was no hurt like getting a football hurled at him by Dudley. Very distinctive noise on impact too. Snape was watching football. Not just watching it, but attentively with an emotional investment. What the hell was with this? What kind of delusional, sick and twisted mind did Harry have?

"Uh ..."

The black eyes barely darted to look at him, but Snape asked, "What?"

"You're watching football?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"There should be a break soon."

"Oh," Harry repeated, guessing that meant to shut up till then.

As soon as the commercial began, Snape stood, asking, "Thirsty?"

"Uh … maybe."

"I'll be right back. I cannot summon something from the refrigerator because the door does not always close itself properly."

Wait? He was going to the kitchen, even though Harry had not answered that he wanted something? Harry got up an followed him through the house.

It was quiet, and there were only a couple lamps turned on so the first floor was dim. Harry looked at a clock. Only about nine. So how long had he been lying there? At least an hour. But it wasn't that late that everyone should be in bed.

"I only have the one brand," Severus said, intruding into Harry's thoughts about the house and its occupants. Harry saw he was holding up a brown bottle.

"That's fine," Harry replied. He was going to drink beer with Snape and watch football? Perhaps Harry was really lying on his bathroom floor at home, delusional with a major head injury that traumatized him so much to dream of getting a wish. That was more likely.

Harry watched Severus get a second bottle, and then a pint-sized drinking glass out of an overhead cabinet. Carrying the bottles by their necks in one hand, and the glass in the other, Snape left the kitchen with Harry following.

Unsure of what was going on in the game, though he did know how a goal was scored, Harry spent some time studying the bottle he was given, along with the drinking glass. Was it muggle beer? Hydes Jekyll's Gold. Harry had heard of Jekyll and Hyde, but that was muggle, right? Or was it something wizard that became muggle?

When there was a commercial break again, Harry asked, "Where's um …?"

"Upstairs. She's probably with her mother since she's upset."

"Over Voldemort?"

Snape glared at him, then corrected him, "No, you."

"Me? I can't help having this scar."

"It's not that."

"It's what you found out Voldemort was up to?"

"You bother her. She's thinking."

"About um … James?"

"Yes. Although you may know him differently, we know him as a cruel and callous individual that abuses his position as an auror. Potter – James Potter - has gravely injured Lily in the past. I believe she's thinking that over since meeting you."

"I'd never do anything like that to her."

"You would not be here if we thought that."

"Oh … then what?"

Snape gave his head a brief negative shake to indicate he did not wish to discuss it. This Potter, Harry Potter, was different than James, however, he was not so foolish as to trust him with information. James pulling a 'prank' on Severus that looked life-threatening triggered Lily into rash action since she had a life debt to her husband. Lily was injured, had a miscarriage, and James blithely went on his merry way. Now, some cretin, claiming to be the spawn of Lily and James Potter shows up. It was disturbing when any amount of contemplation was applied to the situation.


	7. Chapter 7 General Ginger has a Grudge

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

AU LE/SS

**Be Careful What You Wish For**

**Chapter Seven: General Ginger has a Grudge**

Lily was in their bedroom when he went upstairs, rather than spending time with her mother. Neither liked football so they usually watched a movie together. She already had Harry on the wall for them to watch. Lily had probably watched him downstairs too.

"At least Harry didn't pretend to like your game."

"He already said he played quidditch."

"Yes, but if he wanted to kiss up to you, he'd pretend to like football."

"If Harry is pretending to have me as a teacher at Hogwarts, how much do you think I'd allow someone to kiss up to me?"

Lily smirked, then cooed, "Oh please, Prof. Snape, I really need help with my grade. Is there any sort of extra credit or tutoring?"

"Not likely."

"I mean," she said, with extra emphasis by running her hand down the front of his shirt, and stopping with her hand on the front of his trousers, "_I will do anything_, Professor."

Severus crossed his arms over his chest, looked down at Lily haughtily, and lowly threatened, "If your skills in this area are as dismal as your potion brewing, stop wasting my time, Miss Snape. It will result in a deduction of points for Gryffindor."

Glancing to see that Harry was still in the guest room, Severus' tone changed as he asked, "You warded your mother's room?"

"Of course, Sev. Go back to threatening the Gryffindor, and you might want to call me Evans."

He shrugged, "That might be it. The only thing I could imagine enjoying at Hogwarts is deducting points from Gryffindors. What else is there? You think I'd want to eat and live with those people? They're horrible. Dumbledore, Slughorn, McGonagall ..."

"Not Prof. McGonagall."

"Really? You think she hasn't a clue what Dumbledore has going on? She's smart, Lily. She knows."

"Sev, she can't do anything ..." 

"Bullshit. Minerva McGonagall is not some simpering toady. If she didn't like Dumbledore's favoritism and blatant disregard for student's lives, she wouldn't be there."

"She does her best."

"She is capable of much more. McGonagall's a brilliant witch. There's hardly any animagi in Britain any more, due to Hogwarts changing the curriculum when Dumbledore taught Transfiguration. Mother said there used to be a lot more wizards and witches that learned how to do the transformation. Despite his reputation, Dumbledore was never a good teacher."

"Becoming an animagus could be dangerous."

"Not any more than splinching. St. Mungo's could handle it, if Pomfrey can't."

"Maybe that's why Harry thinks you could be a teacher. You understand what people are capable of."

With a groan, Severus explained, "With Dumbledore there? He believes he knows everything and what is best. And the lunacy of Lupin teaching there too? His victims were probably eaten so mysteriously disappeared. You know that's what would have happened to us. Neither of our parents would have known anything till we didn't come home on the train in June."

"I went home for Easter."

"Studying for your OWLs? You stayed seventh year."

"I went home fifth year. Actually, Dumbledore tried to talk me out of it …"

"The scars and the way we ate."

"Yeah, and that was about the time I started to hate him with his moaning about poor Remus and Mr. and Mrs. Lupin."

"We were supposed to feel guilty for not letting him kill us. If we were bitten, he'd try to tell us how lucky we were."

"He's a major arsehole."

"Yes," Severus answered, having heard such things from Lily before. "Do you think Harry has something to do with him?"

"Perhaps. I don't think he's ever forgiven the two of us."

"I don't care if he forgives us for not blindly believing everything he says. That's how people die."

"Besides Voldemort."

"The body count is probably similar."

Lily's eyes narrowed as she studied Harry laying in the dark guest room. "You're really seeing Voldemort, or do you think it's fake?"

"No, it's him."

"Dumbledore wouldn't drop that on the Ministry."

"Why not? He has his spies there too, but the Ministry will do the work while he acts like he knew everything all along."

Lily folded her arms over her chest, and said, "We should juice Harry like an orange."

"I'm not sure if the Dark Lord feels us or not. He was in the middle of speaking, and changed the subject abruptly."

"But he didn't shut up, did he?"

"No, but we're not going to be fortunate every time. I doubt when he's alone he talks to himself about his plans."

"Too bad he didn't watch more movies."

"Movies?"

"Sure, the bad guys talk about their plans all the time to anyone that would listen."

"That does not sound intelligent. Death Eaters are not the Dark Lord's friends."

"No, not like he wants his friends' approval, but the admiration for how clever he is."

Severus sneered, "If we told people how we did things, we'd have no money, Lily."

"You're _really_ clever and brilliant."

"I don't know what Harry is yet."

"You said he was right about his cursed scar being a connection to Voldemort."

"That he received after having a killing curse cast at him. That's an obvious lie."

"Why? He said I protected him. I'm somewhat good at this stuff, you know."

"And your ego is somewhat well-known," Severus mentioned, rather than Lily's overwhelming need to save and help people. They already had that argument over Harry's potential, and Lily insisted on the recklessness of letting that into their home. Severus could not reopen the subject until Harry offered nothing more on Voldemort, or he no longer behaved well. He was betting the behavior would degenerate quickly, which is why he was appearing to act like his guard was down to the hideous man. Lily had already warned her mother. "Who else but a Gryffindor would believe they blocked a killing curse?"

Lily put her hands on her hips, and replied, "It's not all about how brilliant you are, Sev."

Severus sighed, and said, "This is something designed to catch our attention is what I meant. It has to flatter us. Do you really think Harry trusts either of us?"

"He said it under veritaserum."

"I can fill your mind with a lot to say under the influence of veritaserum also."

"Right," Lily agreed. She glanced at Harry lying down in the guest room, on their wall, and said, "He may stay put the first night."

"He has no wand," Severus reminded her, "and I have trouble breaking some of your charms."

"I just hate waiting."

"We'll use the link again tomorrow. The more often we look, the more likely we will uncover plans."

"Are you going to ask any of the old Death Eaters about those whore crup things?"

"Maybe. If it's a good idea, or good enough for the Dark Lord, they might think it good enough for them."

"I don't think all the ones you helped were _imperius_ed."

"I know that, but they're willing to pay a small fortune for their mistake. In any event, the Dark Lord knows they were Death Eaters that no longer follow him. I'm not a threat, when compared to that."

"Does Dumbledore brand people that join that Phoenix society of his?" Lily asked. They had been asked before they graduated. Learning from previous encounters with the headmaster, neither committed, but said they'd think about it. However, it did not take Lily long to overhear Potter and Black bragging about joining it while she was in the Gryffindor common room. Besides the inability to work with those two, or Dumbledore, if they were asked to keep it secret, like them, then they were already jeopardizing the idea behind the group. They'd probably blab about everything else to catch the attention of girls in pubs too. Instead of chastising them, Dumbledore rewarded them by pulling strings to get them into the aurors, where they still had not learned the value of silence and secrets. Therefore, their colleagues hardly told them anything, gave them busy work that they failed to do, and were certain that they'd tell Voldemort everything they knew, if he bought them a round of drinks. Yet another two privileged arseholes guaranteed an income for life, even though they did not work, because they knew people and came from old families. It really made Lily mad.

"Who cares?" Severus replied. "I don't think they actually do anything. Frank and Alice are members, but they keep getting asked to watch things for days and nights, when they have jobs, unlike many of Dumbledore's crowd, and a young child."

"We already know _his _opinion about children. Worthless, unless they can be turned into tools. Neville's a bit young for Dumbledore to come up with something to use him for."

"Perhaps put a camera in his pram, and park him across the street."

"That's only in cartoons, Sev. People would notice an unattended toddler sitting there."

Severus shook his head sadly, and said, "Muggles would notice that." He had to agree with many Slytherins that Albus Dumbledore did not value the lives of children any more than he did others. Only his favorites mattered. Everyone else was rubbish, and that included him, until they killed a werewolf. A couple of fifth years overcoming a werewolf was not particularly incredible, but showed they could think while in danger. Perhaps that was why Lupin was at the school in the first place. Lupin had not been anything special. He had not excelled at any subject. If he lived to take his OWLs, undoubtedly he'd get more than Potter and Black, as most students did.

"So back to Harry, you have to keep working on that scar thing so we can let Alice and Frank know as much as possible, then we can get rid of him."

"Ha, that blows that wish tale of his out of the water."

"What?"

"Befriend his happy parents. Potter threw him in a floo, and you're instructing me to use him up and throw him out like an old crisp bag."

Lily scoffed, "Yeah, right. He's either a nutter, or someone's idea of a joke."

Severus sat on the edge of the bed and removed his boots. He commented, "I want him gone as much as you."

"Hmm," Lily responded, going to the bureau to pick out a nightgown.

Glancing back over her shoulder, Severus gave her a nod, and she nonverbally cast _nox. _They both were covered in scars from their student days at Hogwarts, knew what the other's looked like, but weren't comfortable with having the lights on for changing, or performing their marital duties, even though it was unlikely Lily would ever get pregnant again without a major potion or charm.

She hated James Potter, and Harry looked just like him.


End file.
